Final Moments
by EternityEchoes
Summary: A different version of L and Light's deaths. Rated T for violence and some language. Please read/review!


**His Last Breath**

**by**

**EternityEchoes**

Author's Note--An updated version of one of my old stories which wasn't descriptive enough, or so I've been told. Hopefully this one will be better; though deathfics aren't my best thing to write. I do better at the happy fluffy stuff...but I don't like it as much as the morbid, sad, depressing stuff that I fail at writing ^^.

L stood in the damp, dark basement, terror gripping his heart as he struggled with himself not to let it show on the outside. The cold crept up into his bare feet from the stone floor, nearly numbing his toes as he scratched the top of one foot with the other.

"I'm Kira." The smooth, emotionless voice rang in L's ears as he attempted to draw in a breath, his vision nearly blacking out. He knew that his death was coming; that it was inevetiable. And he accepted it, though he was still not without fear. "Well?" the voice asked again, and the raven-haired detective steeled his nerves and looked up into the solemn face of his only friend.

"I figured as much," L replied in his usual monotone, taking a few seconds more than normal for him to respond so that his voice wouldn't tremble. Though he didn't sound scared, his voice still wasn't as steady as he would've liked.

_Why did it have to be him,_ L thought, _why Light-kun? This...dying, it would be so much easier if he wasn't the one to do it. Even if he'd just do something, anything, to show that he cared. _"So, what now?" he continuted. "Are you going to kill me, Light Yagami?" Better to taunt him, to make him angry, than to have him continue in the manner in which he was.

"Of course. But...this time, I'm going to enjoy it." The amber eyes met Ryuzaki's huge, circled eyes, searching them for a trace of the fear he knew the older man had.

Fear of dying...L had admitted it to Light one of the many sleepless nights they had spent while chained together. "I've never killed before without using the Death Note, you know." he continued mildly. The almost non-existant light in the room glittered off of a small dagger--or was it merely a kitchen knife?--clutched in Light's hand.

"Must you always be so dramatic, Light-kun?" Good...drag it out, change his mind, L told himself. Change his mind...

Light's mouth curled up in disgust as L turned away from him, in the pretense of studying a crack running up the wall into the ceiling, though his teeth cut through his trembling lip. "Pathetic, L. I expected more. You're not even trying to convince me to let you live. Aren't you afraid?"

It did the trick--reminding L that he had confided his true fear in Light--and a small spasm flickered across the usually emotionless, blank face. "Afraid? Of course I am, Light-kun, you know that. Everyone is afraid of death. But...there is nothing I can do to stop you, is there? I thought not."

"You could beg." Light snarled at his archenemy, and L almost invisibly shook his head, making the midnight spikes sway. "I refuse to stoop to that level." he replied quietly, tilting his head back to look at Light. Shivers ran down his spine as the boy drew closer.

"Damn you, L! You don't want to live? Well, I'm not going to make it quick." the college student said menacingly, advancing closer.

Ghostly laughter filled the room right as the steady hand holding the knife drew up above L's back. _"Light Yagami_.." the raspy voice began, _"your life will end here, also. You are becoming a bore to me._"

Absolute terror broke across Light's face as he falied to compose himself as L had been doing. "R-ryuk? No! You can't!"

The disembodied cackle floated through the air again. L, having heard it, allowed a small bit of emotion to break through, his face almost...tender as he looked at the terrified boy. "Well then...better to get this over with soon, then." Light murmured, his voice shaking as tears welled up behind his eyes.

"So, Light-kun. It seems we are both fated to die here. Now, it is your turn to tell me. Are you afraid?" L asked gently, his soft voice carrying easily to Light's ears.

A look of pure hatred flashed through the near-golden eyes as Light jerked his head up and steeled himself. "SHUT UP!" he screamed, lunging at L with the knife. The sharp blade caught the back of L's shoulder as he turned in a feeble attempt to avoid the knife, cutting through layers of sinewy muscle to finally strike his shoulderblade. A gasp caught in L's throat as he closed his eyes and slammed his foot into Light.

A complete miss. In his panic and pain, L's judgment was off by several inches, and he stumbled as he attempted to get his balence. He fell forwards, strong hands catching his body. For one divine second, L thought he had changed the boy's mind; that he would live. Then the blade was shoved into his stomach, ripping up between his ribs. The last hope he had fled out of his mind as the pain overwhelmed his brain. Black fog clouded his vision as the worst wave of fear yet swelled within him, and he choked on the forgotton words he had been about to say.

"Light,,," he coughed out, choking on his own blood that was bubbling out from between his pale lips, his body racked with pain as the white-hot wound his his gut was ripped open farther by the knife.

Light felt his chest constrict as he shoved the knife into the limp, bloodstained body for the fifth time, tearing the white shirt that was nearly red now from the pool of crimson blood that was spreading beneath the detective's body.

L finally let out his last breath and closed his dark eyes for the final time as the blackness that was threatening to pull him into unconciousness; and then death; succeeded. A single, glittering tear fell out from beneath one of his closed eyelids and ran down his cheek to merge with the trickles of blood that were coming from the corners of his mouth.

A gleeful laugh, not unlike the shinigami Ryuk's that had filled the air earlier, came from Light as he spotted the shining tear track on L's face. L had shown weakness, after all. That was all Light was after. All he wanted. To prove that L...L, the world's greatest detective, and Light's closest friend, was weak.

One thought filled his mind as he felt his heart beat its last. "I...I won..." he choked out as a matching tear streamed down his own face as the blackness swirled up into his brain and vision and took the life out of him. His body fell on top of the bloody, angular body of L as the laughter filled the room again.

"Did you win, Light? Did you really?" Ryuk asked in his raspy voice, before leaving the human realm for his barren homeworld, allowing himself one final glance back at the two boys laying on the ground.

"Goodbye, Light. It was fun while it lasted."

Hope it was better...at least a little better than my older one. Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreicated, as I'm trying to improve my writing skills to more than fluff. Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you thought about it.

v

v

v

v

v

v


End file.
